We can add one more name to the list of people expectantly waiting for James Gunn’s new DCU to grace us with its presence: Idris Elba. Elba, who’s appeared in the MCU as Heimdall, the guardian of the rainbow bridge, and Bloodsport of the Suicide Squad in the DCU, said he thinks Gunn’s new take on the DC Universe will be “unstoppable.”
Elba chatted with Comicbook.com about Gunn’s new job and whether they are on friendly terms or not.
“I mean, yeah, no. We’ve said hi to each other. He’s a genius, right? And I can’t think of anyone better to jump into the authorship of what happens in the DC Universe. He knows it better than anyone, but also he just has such a great imagination, great taste profile. I think the DC Universe is gonna be like unstoppable under his watch.”
Those are kind words and also sound like someone who wants to continue playing DC characters in the future. It never hurts to suck up to the boss. Gunn, along with fellow DCU head Peter Safran, has announced a whole plan for the DCU, which will include a new Superman movie, a Peacemaker spinoff, a Green Lantern series, a Game of Thrones-like show about Themyscira (Wonder Woman’s home) and many more.
Elba’s turn in the Gunn written The Suicide Squad was not as a replacement for Will Smith’s portrayal of Deadshot in the first film, although when Elba was announced he didn’t necessarily go out of his way to dispel that rumor, he told Collider.
“Those rumors would be natural because Will said he wasn’t joining the second movie, so it was quite natural for audiences or fans to think that I would be taking over the Deadshot character because the Deadshot character lived in the other movie. But I’m really satisfied that James didn’t want to do that, I didn’t want to do that. Deadshot is a great character and Will slays it, so I was really keen the audience and fans kept that rumor going.”
So far, the DCU looks like it’s going to give Marvel a real run for its money now. Which, considering the way Phase 5 is going so far, it could definitely use a kick in the butt. Case in point: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quintumnia has been referred to as a bankrupt enterprise.
It’ll be fun to watch how this shakes out regardless.
